The thing you’re looking for has always been there all along.
This cliché of a line has always been thrown around in love stories much like this one.
But instead of two strangers, this is a love story between a mother who gave up a son and a son who was looking for his mother.
A serendipitous reunion
While giving up her son was a painfully difficult decision, fate still found a way to reunite them both at the perfect time.
Benjamin Hulleberg always knew he’s adopted.
Fortunately, his adoptive parents Brian and Angela were very open about this aspect of his life.
He shared that conversations around this topic have always been “very positive”.
He added in an interview with Good Morning America, that the conversations also highlight their gratitude for someone named “Holly”.
Only a name
As much as he wanted to meet his mother, the only thing he knew was her name.
Nonetheless, Hulleberg, under the guidance of his adoptive parents, grew up to be a middle school substitute teacher.
He also dedicates some of his time at St. Mark’s Hospital as a volunteer for the neonatal intensive care unit.
Little did he know, someone he knew worked at the same hospital. And just like him, she was longing to meet someone else.
Holly Shearer is a medical assistant.
She works in the hospital’s heart center. 20 years ago, on Thanksgiving Day, she gave up a baby for adoption.
She was a young teen at that time and she knew she couldn’t give Hulleberg a good life, even if she wanted to.
“He was always on my mind. More so on holidays and his birthday, roller coaster of emotions,” Shearer told Good Morning America, “I thought about him all the time.”
At first, she was receiving updates about Benjamin.
But as time passed, letters and photos became less frequent. To make things much more difficult, the adoption agency that accommodated her also closed down.
Her ties were cut.
Shearer had something else on her side, however. As time passed and technology improved, hope was rekindled when Shearer logged onto Facebook.
She found Hulleberg’s account when he was 18 years old. Shearer watched him from a distance, however, because she didn’t want to “throw a wrench” in his life.
He wanted that wrench thrown.
Unbeknownst to Shearer, Hulleberg was desperately looking for her too. He listed himself in an adoption registry, wrote to her, and took a DNA test.
Then, on one of Benjamin’s birthdays, Shearer took a leap of faith. She messaged Hulleberg to wish him a happy birthday then everything fell into place.
The wait was finally over.
The two have since met and shared dinner. She shared that their first meeting was emotional and that they just hugged and cried for five minutes.
Lucky for them, though, they discovered that they’ve been working at the same place.
Time with mom
They see each other at work at least once a week, where he calls Shearer “mom”.
“Being able to sit down with my biological mom and just have coffee and talk before I go on my shift at the NICU? It’s been amazing,” he said to Good Morning America.
Watch how two souls were reunited by fate in the video below!
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